


The IMP

by AOGR



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Apologies in advance if this makes no sense, Crack, Fluff, Humor, Martians, Multi, Relationships and characters will be added as the story progresses, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-03 18:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17288963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AOGR/pseuds/AOGR
Summary: The year was XX21, and humans had discovered extraterrestrial beings living on faraway planets. However, though humanity adapted to the new creatures and superpowers of the world, things were far from perfect. For many years, Earth had managed to stay out of the intergalactic conflicts that rattled the universe, but it soon became involved when a Martian regiment from planet NCT disappeared, and all the evidence pointed to Earth. Deploying his force of the most powerful Martian soldiers, the FAIRY, the Martian emperor gave orders for Earth to be invaded. In order to combat these alien invaders, the human governments of Earth banded together to form the IMP. Their task was simple enough--exterminate all the Martian threats--but things were quick to get complicated.(AKA, Mark the Martian gets kidnapped and everything changes.)





	1. Prologue: The Missing Martian

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for checking out the IMP! Here are a few things of note before we begin:
> 
> 1) This story has two authors. Chapters will alternate between being written by Agent A and Agent O.
> 
> 2) The first few chapters will feel more episodic. However, the plot will pick up soon.
> 
> 3) This is a work of complete fiction. Any references to real people are not accurate reflections of them. No disrespect is intended.
> 
> 4) Please do not repost or distribute anywhere.
> 
> Now, without further ado, enjoy!
> 
> \- Agent A

Taeyong had always had a habit of eating his hands whenever he got nervous. Normally, he berated himself for the nasty habit, but today he felt justified in his painful gnawing.

Mark was gone.

The idiot had disappeared from base one day, telling no one but Yukhei, who had actually encouraged him. Apparently, he’d found a lead on their missing Martian comrades and was determined to retrieve them.

By himself.

Taeyong had wanted to strangle him.

But since Mark had long since left base when Ten finally tickled the truth out of Yukhei, the most Taeyong could do was send him a bunch of angry signals and grumpily wait for his return.

Only Mark hadn’t returned. He hadn’t even sent them any messages, conveying his location and updating his status. The remaining Martians hadn’t wanted to think of what could’ve happened to him. After all, they were the Force for the Acquisition of Intercepted Regiment Yunits--some of the most powerful Martians to have ever existed. And Mark, though less experienced, was technically the most powerful of them all. Gifted with mind control, there was no way he could’ve been defeated.

But there was no sign of him at all--not even the slightest tug at their antennae had announced his presence. There was no denying that Mark had met the same fate as the rest of their unfortunate comrades: kidnapped by the humans.

Taeyong buried his head in his hand, groaning so much that the walls around him shuddered from the vibrations.

Taeil looked up from where he was building a new spherical machine. “Yongie, I know you’re worried, but please don’t shake the table.”

Taeyong sighed and leaned back in his floating chair. “I’m sorry. But what are we going to do? We don’t have any idea where the missing soldiers are, and now Mark’s disappeared too.”

Taeil chewed his lip. “Do you think the IMP has taken him?”

“The IMP?” Taeyong sat up with a scowl. “Don’t be ridiculous. They might be a thorn in our side, but they don’t have the capabilities to capture any of us. Besides, we’ve already confirmed they weren’t the ones who attacked the regiment.”

And they really weren’t. The International Martian Patrol the humans had set up might have been hellbent on blasting the Martians off their planet, but the microphones Ten had planted in their headquarters revealed that they were not actually the ones behind the kidnapping. Still, all the evidence had pointed to Earth, and the FAIRY would not be leaving until the guilty humans paid for their crimes.

But Taeil still looked slightly concerned, elegant brows furrowed. “But they do have that one powerful combatant. Maybe he could’ve defeated Mark.”

Taeyong’s own brows furrowed together, the scar across the left sharpening. “You mean the one that can control emotions?”

“Yeah, that one.” A weird look suddenly came over Taeil’s face. “He’s so beautiful, but he’s the most dangerous one of all.”

“And you think he’s capable of subduing Mark? Of resisting the mind control?"

“Maybe not resist, but his ability is nearly as powerful. If he managed to manipulate Mark first, there’s nothing Mark could’ve done against him.”

A sense of dread fell over Taeyong, an apprehensive feeling matched only by the sound of Chenle’s demonic cackling. “But have the microphones picked up anything? Surely they would’ve mentioned him by now.”

Taeil faltered. “No… They haven’t mentioned anything. And there’s no way they could’ve found the microphones yet; they’re still spilling half their plans out to us.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Taeyong leaned back in his chair, humming in relief. “Regardless, we have to find Mark, but we can’t let this distract us from our main priority.” He knocked on the glossy desk before him and a glowing screen formed on its surface. “We need a new plan."

Taeil, seated in his own floating chair, drifted to his side and peered down at the screen. “What are you thinking, leader?”

Taeyong dragged his fingers across the screen, drawing cryptic symbols no human could ever understand in the glowing light. “We’ll need someone to look for Mark. That idiot might’ve gotten himself into this mess, but we won’t abandon him. Yukhei can go after him. I trust that Jaehyun and Ten will be able to cover for him until he returns. Chenle and Jaemin can continue traveling around and gathering information, but I suppose they’ll have to help out with the field work now that we’re down two warriors. As for you--”

“I’ve actually been working on something recently,” Taeil said. He navigated back over to the desk and picked up the enormous spherical device. “This is a Chrroasdithikto. They can fly and turn invisible and are equipped with the most effective cameras and microphones in the galaxy. I was hoping to be able to refine the design a bit--the battery life is a bit too short for my liking--but I’m afraid we don’t have the time for that. However, I’m sure that this prototype will suffice for now.”

The device had multiple slender protrusions sticking out of it, each tipped with a black orb, and Taeil now tapped one of those orbs. Immediately, the machine floated out of his arms, and the screens on the walls suddenly displayed a recording of the room from multiple angles.

Taeyong examined Taeil’s invention, once again impressed by his friend’s genius. “Incredible. And you think we’ll be able to use this to spy on them?”

Taeil nodded. “I’ll build more, and then we’ll send one to follow each and every IMP operative. We’re down manpower, so we can’t risk monitoring each enemy personally.”

“Excellent! Well done, Taeil.” Taeyong smiled at his friend, briefly relieved of his distress.

“However,” Taeil continued, “I think we should send Yuta to track the emotion manipulator in person.”

The grin slipped from Taeyong’s face. Yuta was one of their most capable fighters--a bit reckless, sure, but able to break free from even the most hopeless situations. He had been hoping to a particularly risky upcoming mission. “Do you think that is necessary?” he asked.

Taeil looked grim. “I’m afraid so. None of the humans have powers we can’t handle, but the emotion manipulator has the potential to completely destroy us. Imagine if he got Yukhei under his control.”

Taeyong shuddered. Yes, he could imagine, but no, he didn’t want to. Getting eaten alive by Yukhei was the last thing he wanted to consider. “Very well, that will be Yuta’s new duty.” He turned back to the screen in the table and scrawled the commands onto it. After he’d send out the orders, he leaned back in his chair and sighed once more.

“Don’t worry, leader,” Taeil said, hovering nearby again. “We will surely prevail. The humans have never triumphed against us before, and they certainly won’t now.”

Taeyong rubbed his eyes tiredly. “I know, I know. I just can’t help but wonder about Mark. Hopefully, this will teach him to stop being so impulsive.”

“Indeed.”

“Then again…” Taeyong sat up suddenly, eyes narrowed into slits as he studied the map of the Earth projected before him. “As the wise human prophet Deepak Chopra once said, ‘Intuition belongs to irrational possibilities.’ Perhaps Mark was on to something when he left. Perhaps this irrational move was actually the result of genius intuition. Perhaps this reckless endeavor of his will be just what we need to succeed.”

\--- 

Kun frowned at the paper in his hand. Johnny had sent him yet another poem to read, and while the man definitely had a way with words, did his writing really need to be so utterly depressing? Perhaps Kun should send him to see a therapist. Or just have him spend time meditating in Jungwoo’s garden. That tended to help the stressed IMP operatives relax.

The opening of his door caused Kun to break from his thoughts. “Oh, Donghyuck. Can I help you with anything?”

There was a wide grin on Donghyuck’s face. Kun raised an eyebrow. Donghyuck was always smiling, but there were certain smiles that tended to signify a sinister scheme, and this was one of them.

“Captain, you will not believe what I just found today.”

Kun stood up. “Did you find out something new on the Martians?”

“Kind of. It’ll be better if I just show you.” The grin never left Donghyuck’s face as he led Kun down a stainless corridor, down a flight of stairs, down through the laboratory doors.

Various IMP scientists, hunched over at their stations, straightened up as Kun passed by. He greeted them with a nod and smile as he followed Donghyuck deeper into the lab. Kun’s warm smile dropped, however, when they reached the very end of the room, where a shut door blocked their path.

Kun looked over the sign that read Alien Substance Quarantine Bay. “Did you find a new material? Something deadly? Are you sure it was safe to handle?”

“I found something even better,” Donghyuck chirped, pulling out his ID card with a flip of the wrist. “And it might not technically be safe, but I’ve made sure it can’t harm us.”

To enter the most well-protected areas of the IMP headquarters, there was first a retina scan, then an ID check, and finally a manual password. The quarantine zone was one of these areas, filled with things that could kill in a heartbeat if improperly contained. However, Donghyuck seemed oddly cheerful for someone headed into a room loaded with toxic metals, unidentified life forms, and strange objects that couldn’t be touched.

Their footsteps echoed as they descended to the deepest part of the base. The quarantine was well lit and well cleaned, but the silence was still disconcerting. All the subjects it contained were in soundproof holdings since some had the ability to drive humans mad with their voices Kun knew it was necessary, but he still felt the living conditions of the life forms to be rather inhumane--even if they weren’t human. There was a crease across his forehead, movements measured as he trailed after Donghyuck’s lighthearted skipping.

“You know how I was on break yesterday?” Donghyuck said as they passed by a pile of goo with an eyeball that blinked at them. “I know you told me to rest, but this was an opportunity I just couldn’t miss.”

“I appreciate your dedication, but you really shouldn’t overwork yourself,” Kun said.

Donghyuck looked at him over his shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll agree I did the right thing when you see what I found. Here it is now!”

Donghyuck stood before a large cubic shape that was covered in cloth. “Don’t worry,” he assured at Kun’s concerned expression, “there’s light on the inside. The subject is just fully sentient, so I didn’t want it to see anything that went on around here.”

“Fully sentient? And it needs that much space?” Realization struck Kun with the shock of the kitchen’s fire alarm. “You don’t mean--”

“Yep!” Somehow, Donghyuck’s grin grew even wider. “And I think it has the key for stopping the Martians once and for all.” He tore off the cloth with a gusto, tossing it aside like a magician unveiling a surprise. “Behold! Our victory is nigh!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by Agent A


	2. The Bubblegum Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, it's been a while! A few warnings before reading this chapter:
> 
> 1) There are many strange happenings. Please don't take it seriously.
> 
> 2) Renjun is somewhat evil, but not really? Sorryyyyy, we love him.
> 
> 3) It took me forever to write this, so sorry if my tone kinda changes throughout the piece. It ranges from ridiculous to slightly angsty (?)
> 
> 4) After rereading this, I realized I made a couple of errors, so I changed a few small details. Nothing major. Sorry if you read it before I edited it.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy (haha).

Strands of fluffy, aqua-colored hair floated upwards as the boy let out a bored sigh. Chenle huffed, doing a thorough once-over of the “target” standing twenty yards away, guarding a round metal door. When Taeyong sent Jaemin and him to secure the IMP’s undersea base, he thought the older brothers had finally started to acknowledge that despite being the youngest out of their group, Jaemin and he were completely capable of carrying out important and potentially dangerous missions. But _this_ . This was just ridiculous! After half an hour of circling the base from afar, Chenle and Jaemin had only encountered a single guard--a scrawny kid with a fishbowl stuck on his head whose squishy-looking face and bright blue hair could probably get him cast for a chewing gum commercial. _Pathetic_. Chenle figured Taeyong probably only sent him and Jaemin because Chenle would be able to communicate with sea creatures. Except they hadn’t even encountered any!

“Hey, snap out of it!” A sharp murmur shifted Chenle’s attention to the tall Martian crouched next to him, “Do you think we should advance?”

“Yeah, sure,” Chenle responded.

Chenle and Jaemin swam directly towards the guard at a leisurely pace, hoping to appear friendly. But when the guard spotted them, he immediately tensed up, raising his spear to block the door.

“He looks a bit intimidating; do you think it’s alright to approach him straight-on?” Jaemin muttered under his breath.”

“Well it’s too late to plan a sneak attack now, isn’t it?” Chenle snapped back sarcastically, “Don’t worry. I’m _Chenle_.”

Jaemin rolled his eyes at Chenle’s overconfidence, turning his attention back to the squinty-eyed guard.

“What do you guys want?” the boy asked, straightening his back in an attempt to appear more intimidating. Although these two strangers may have looked like normal high school boys, the fact that they were able to breathe underwater without any equipment determined that they were in fact Martians.

“I was actually looking for something,” Jaemin stated dramatically, “a very important item.”

The guard squinted at him suspiciously, “I haven’t seen anything special. You should probably search elsewhere.”

“No, no, no,” Jaemin shook his head furiously, “I’m absolutely positive that you have what I’m searching for. You see, I’m in dire need of a key.”

A low grunt escaped the guard, a stark contrast to his innocent babyface, “I’m not letting you in here, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“No, no. You’ve misunderstood,” Jaemin sighed in a most patronizing fashion before continuing, “The key I’m looking for is far more valuable,” he paused for dramatic effect.

“The key to your heart.”  
The kid snorted, pretending to be weirded out. But the faint flushing of his cheeks told a completely different story.

“Awww, you’re so cute!” Jaemin cooed, his pretentious act crumbling away as quickly as it had been built up, swimming forward to engulf the boy in an embrace.

The boy looked taken aback, immediately slapping away Jaemin’s arms.

“ _Cute?_ ” the boy drew the word out, tone laced with disgust.

“Yeah, cute,” Jaemin replied nonchalantly, “May you grace me with the honor of knowing your name?”

Chenle squinted at Jaemin judgingly. Why was Jaemin’s only battle strategy to _flirt_? Jaemin and Yukhei did some research in preparation for their plan regarding befriending humans, and apparently being nice and complimenting them were foolproof methods. Also… pickup lines.

“Why should I tell you my name when I don’t know yours? And _really_ , what do you even want?” the guard snapped.

“Fair enough. My name’s Jaemin. This shortie behind me is Chenle. As for your last question,” he once again paused for dramatic effect, “all I want is _you_.”

Chenle choked, his eyes widening in shock.

The guard shuddered--a vibration that started from his fishbowl-covered head and traveled all the way down to his toes. His scowl deepened, his squinty eyes narrowing into slits.

“That’s so gross. My name’s Agent 20502. If you guys don’t need anything, then I’ll have to request that you leave as soon as possible. This is a restricted government area.”

For the first time, Chenle opened his mouth to speak to the guard. He couldn’t allow Jaemin to ruin things any further, “So if this place is restricted, shouldn’t there be a bunch of high-tech security enforcements? How come there’s only _you_?”

Agent 20502 let out a deep chuckle, “ _Only_ me, huh?”

Aggressively, he swam towards Chenle, using his left arm (the one free of his spear) to secure Chenle’s waist in an iron vice. He then single-handedly launched Chenle upwards with a force so great that the poor Martian almost breached the surface of the water.

“Aiyaaaaa!” Chenle let out a shrill, piercing shriek as he felt his limbs push past the resistance of the liquid around him at an alarming rate.

Even after his body, limp from shock, began to sink back to the sea floor, the ear-shattering screech continued. As Chenle glanced downwards, he saw Jaemin and Agent 20502 crouching a few feet away from the entrance of the military base, their hands covering their ears. Agent 20502’s face contorted in pain, his nose scrunched in distaste and his eyes squeezed shut. This was Chenle’s chance.

Chenle immediately accelerated, swimming rapidly towards the now unguarded door of the base. As his gaze locked with the eyes of the traumatized guard still massaging his shattered ears, the guard’s eyes widened comically. He remembered how Agent 20502 had blushed indignantly when Jaemin had called him cute. And as cheesy as anything Jaemin said always was, Chenle had to agree that the guard _was_ very adorable. He was like a baby chick. Or a hamster. But the guard’s terrifying strength was a complete contrast to his fluffy outward appearance. The kid had literally zero muscles, so how was he so strong?

Chenle shook his thoughts back to the present. His momentary muse had allowed the guard time to recover. But it was too late, as Chenle’s pale, thin fingers were already grasping the metal door handle.

He pulled it towards himself, expecting the door to open. But the door didn’t budge. _Oh crap_. He never considered the door might be locked. There was no sign of any sort of keyhole or digital lock. Chenle turned back around nervously.

Agent 20502 and Jaemin were currently elbowing and kicking each other, their limbs entwined in an intricate knot. Chenle rolled his eyes at the childish scene splayed before him.

Unable to control the impatience bubbling in his veins, he shrieked, “C’mon Jaemin, you dumb old man. Help me figure out how to open the door!”

The deafening, dolphin-like sound momentarily paralyzed the two entwined idiots, generating slack expressions on their faces. But soon, they were twisting around again, struggling to be the first to reach the door. Before Agent 20502 had the chance to use his super strength again, Jaemin used his own power to summon spirits for backup.

Chenle’s eyes followed the translucent blobs around suspiciously as they circled around Jaemin, laughing and blushing as Jaemin spouted more of his flirty nonsense, attempting to bend them to his will. Chenle let out a sigh. The first time he’d seen Jaemin summon a spirit, he had thought it was the coolest thing ever. The years of wondering how Jaemin’s useless self had been admitted into the F.A.I.R.Y. had finally come to an end. But after a few months, the query was revived. As Jaemin started summoning multiple spirits at the same time, he was no longer able to control them. Although flirting with the spirits worked surprisingly well at first, they soon became venomously jealous, often bickering and fighting with each other or even cursing Jaemin. That’s why Chenle had always told Jaemin never to use his power unless completely necessary. But the stupid airhead never listened.

This time, the eerie creatures were of help. They circled around Agent 20502’s head, emitting hypnotic waves until the poor boy wasn’t even able to swim in a straight line.

“Yes! Great work, my lovelies. Now let’s get this door open,” Jaemin purred.

He swam towards the door where Chenle was standing, still warily eyeing the spirits.

“Didn’t I tell you not to summon spirits without properly thinking it through beforehand?” Chenle hissed under his breath.

Jaemin laughed airily, “I did think it through. Don’t worry, baby.”

“Agh,” Chenle lets out a frustrated grunt. Why was Jaemin always so flippant?

Chenle shifted his attention from the ghastly spirits to the human agent lying on the seafloor. Nice. He was still out. They needed time to get into the base, tie up Agent 20502, and release the dang spirits before they started to act up. _Oh yeah._ Another problem with Jaemin’s power? Once Jaemin summoned his spirits, the only way to get rid of them was for them to willingly leave.

As if cued by Chenle’s thoughts, a spirit with a rather large mouth spoke up, “Hey, Jaemin. You always say you love us, but who do you love the most? Must be me, right?”

Jaemin’s eyes flitted around nervously before they landed on Chenle. They sent him a silent plea. Chenle rolled his eyes, shaking his head in response. He knew something like this would happen.

All the spirits were screeching, their vapor fingers jabbing into Jaemin’s sides as they interrogated him. Jaemin’s pupils were lost in a sea of white as his eyes widened. He did nothing but smile apologetically and stammer his memorized pickup lines. Even they couldn’t help him now.

Despite the dire situation, Chenle felt a sliver of satisfaction as his annoyingly confident companion was divested of his usual narcissistic arrogance. But as the blue-haired guard at the ground twitched in his peripheral vision, Chenle realized their time was running out.

“Control your girlfriends, Jaemin,” Chenle demanded, “We need to secure the base!”

Jaemin only stuttered in response, “A-ah, alright.”

Agent 20502 stirred, groggily rubbing at his eyes, which were still heavily lidded.

In a burst of bravery, Jaemin rushed towards the door, yanking it open.

Chenle stared in shock at the gloomy hallway beyond the door frame. How could this be? He had tried multiple times to pull the door open. He was sure it had been locked!

Now it was Jaemin’s turn to roll his eyes, “Hurry up, weakling.”

Jaemin opened the door for Chenle, who cautiously took a step into the base.

“Woah, it smells like cherry ice cream! Taeyong told me about the strange symptoms that ice cream causes in human children!” Chenle giggled loudly, his eyes scrunching up to form horizontal lines.

Chenle glanced back at the doorway due to the lack of response, only to find that the door was once again closed (his deafening laughter must have masked the sound) and Jaemin was nowhere to be seen.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Just as the door closed behind Chenle, the spirits attacked. They created a tight circle around Jaemin’s head, obstructing his view. Jaemin would not normally consider himself a clumsy person, but with multiple translucent figures gliding in front of his face, there was not much he could do other than stumble around and swat his arms around helplessly--which was exactly what he was doing. With Jaemin’s vision properly obstructed, his sense of touch sharpened. He felt the uneven ground underneath his feet and the slight tingle as minuscule particles of ocean debris slid past his legs. But the heightened senses did nothing to prevent him from tripping over what he assumed to be a large coral structure.

He fell face first, squeezing his eyes shut to brace himself for collision. Any second now, his head should have come into contact with weathered shells and sea pebbles. But a collision never came. Instead, the only sensation Jaemin felt was continuous falling, the law of gravity taking over with no physical matter to stop it. He cautiously opened his eyes and discovered that he was surrounded by metal walls. Strange. Jaemin didn’t remember having seen any holes in the seafloor that could lead to this tunnel. With no way of escape, Jaemin closed his eyes and allowed his body to fall.

It was quite a while later when Jaemin finally collided with solid ground. By then, he’d drifted into a fitful stupor plagued with dreams of pink and blue retro bubble gum commercials and occasional dolphins shrieking maniacally.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Jisung struggled into a sitting position, the effects of being hypnotized still shrouding his thoughts in a heavy fog. When his vision focused on Jaemin, the foggy veil dissipated slightly. Jaemin had those horrifying ghosts circling around his body, punching at him and whispering into his ears. The Martian must’ve really been an idiot. Only an idiot would use a power that worked against himself. A brief thought flit through Jisung’s mind regarding the whereabouts of the other, shorter Martian, but before he could investigate, a more critical situation arose. Jaemin, with the spirits blocking his vision, stumbled around the seafloor blindly before falling straight into the IMP’s secret passageway.

And that’s when Jisung knew he was screwed.

That tunnel, the tunnel that had now been found out by a _Martian_ , was one of many underground passageways the IMP agents used to travel from base to base. Kun and the others had trusted him to guard the undersea base on his own, but now he’d allowed the Martians to gain knowledge of their most important method of transportation!

Jisung quickly rose, before falling back to the floor as he was hit with a wave of dizziness. He must’ve been dehydrated. Because of the stupid fish bowl suit, he hadn't been able to drink any water since the morning. Sometimes, Jisung wished he were a Martian. With their rumored powerful abilities, capability of existing comfortably both on water and on land, and strikingly beautiful features, it was not difficult to feel inferior in their presence. But the two Martian kids who Jisung encountered were not very awe-inducing at all. Jaemin, the one who summoned spirits, was just a huge flirt. The shorter blonde one with the terrifyingly shrill laugh--what was his name? Cello?--could only be described as squishy, if not a bit snarky at times.

As his thoughts settled on the amusing way the shorter Martian had often rolled his eyes at his companion, Jisung remembered the problem that had previously crossed his mind. The short Martian was missing.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Chenle sighed. It was such a classic Jaemin move to disappear without saying goodbye. He guessed that was a custom for handsome playboys. Chenle walked back to the door hesitantly. He wanted to go back for Jaemin, but he knew he wouldn't have been of much help anyways. It was probably smarter for him to continue the mission alone. The human guard didn’t seem too bad personality-wise (just a bit annoyingly), and Chenle doubted the guard would seriously harm Jaemin. Despite the logical analysis, Chenle’s heart got the better of him and he rested his fingers on the cool metal of the door handle. He pulled harder this time, brows furrowing at the embarrassing memory of failing to open the door from the outside. Again, the door did not budge.

“Gosh, it must be locked from the inside!” Chenle declared, his voice reverberating in the otherwise silent hallway.

He kicked at the door again and again, with increasing force. But even after several seconds of intense abuse, the door showed no sign of a dent, or even a scratch. Chenle let out a frustrated sigh and gave the door one last, measly kick. Just for closure. But right as his foot approached the door, it slammed open. The metal pushed his leg backward, causing him to lose contact with the ground. As he stumbled to a landing, he felt all of his body weight shift to his right leg before he crumpled to the floor, his leg pinned beneath his body at an awkward angle.

Chenle grimaced as shocks of pain travelled through his right leg.

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” a voice called out. It was Agent 20502.

Chenle’s insecure teenage mind told him to stop whimpering like a human. So he straightened his back, puffed out his chest, and replied.

“Yeah, of course, I’m alright. Do you think a tiny metal door could hurt _me_? The mere thought is humorous!” Chenle proceeded to let out a chuckle. A very high-pitched chuckle.

“Well, okay. If you say so,” Agent 20502 replied, removing the fishbowl on his head and running a hand through his hair, “At least let me help you up.”

He offered a hand to Chenle. But there was no way Chenle would display any signs of weakness in front of a human. The enemy. So he simply glared up at the blue-haired guard.

He let out a snarl that would sound intimidating, if not for his shrill voice, “I don’t need your pity.”

Chenle proceeded to use his arms to lift himself off of the ground. But when he tried to straighten his legs, they immediately gave out. He fell back onto the smooth tile floor with a soft “oof.” The intensity of Agent 20502’s gaze burned holes in his self-esteem.

To Chenle’s surprise, the guard let out a muffled laugh, before running a hand over Chenle’s useless leg, pressing gently to gauge the severity of the injury, “It looks like you won’t be standing up with that leg any time soon,” Agent 20502 said, “so I’ll go find you a wooden splint and some crutches from the medical wing.”

Chenle just nodded, a soft blush coloring his cheeks. He’d never felt so vulnerable in his life.

“Oh, by the way,” Agent 20502 said as he turned the corner and disappeared from Chenle’s view, “Stop trying so hard to seem tough. It only makes you even more adorable.”

Chenle would never admit that his cheeks flushed five shades redder. He figured that for someone who scrunched his nose at every mention of the word cute, Agent 20502’s compliment meant a lot.

Without anything to do before the guard returned, Chenle shifted his attention to the swirls in the marble floor. He traced them with his fingers, wondering where Jaemin was and whether he was safe. Chenle would have to ask Agent 20502 once he came back.

“Agh! Who are you?” a loud voice jolted Chenle out of his absent-minded daydreaming.

Chenle raised his gaze to see a young boy with midnight black hair. The boy was staring longingly at something, his lower lip jutting out in a slight pout. Chenle followed the boy’s eyes and saw a toppled-over tub of ice cream and a fork lying on the floor. The boy must’ve dropped them. Pink-colored ice cream oozed out of the container, staining the glossy white floor tiles. Chenle glanced back up at the boy. He looked ready to burst into tears.

“A-ah, are you alright?” Chenle asked hesitantly. He wasn’t used to comforting people.

The boy showed no sign of having heard Chenle’s question, his gaze still glued to the mess on the floor.

Chenle broke the silence again, saying, “Hey, I’m sorry if you dropped these because I surprised you. I-I’ll make it up to you sometime, okay?”

The boy still remained silent, unmoving.

“C-c’mon, bro,” Chenle called out, becoming impatient, “Don’t cry over spilled dairy products. When Agent 20502 comes back with crutches or whatever, I’ll help you clean this up and throw the fork away. Don’t worry, alright?”

The boy finally flinched. His eyes widened in horror.

“What did you just say?” he asked, his tone threatening.

Chenle’s heart clenched. This kid must’ve been crazy.

“Uh, I said I could help you dispose of this mess,” Chenle replied.

“ _Mess?_ ” the boy sounded ready to crack. Or perhaps he’d already cracked.

His eyes widened even larger. He raised his arms, his hands clenching maniacally before reaching to pull at his hair. And then Chenle realized. This must’ve been one of the strange symptoms Taeyong had talked about. The boy in front of him must have still been under the influence of the cherry ice cream.

Chenle was about to tell the boy not to worry and that he’d soon recover from the effects, but before he could say anything, the boy burst into tears.

“M-my fork! My precious fork! A-and my ice cream! Th-th-that wasn’t just any ice cream!” the boy sobbed loudly, voice cracking, “That-that was fr-from my brother. He gave it to me because I was pr-promoted to head researcher at this dumb undersea base. But it was really more of a demotion because there’s nobody else here and nothing has even happened! W-well, nothing happened before you showed up. And now I’ve spilled my ice cream! Brother, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to spill your precious ice cream! I-I-I was just--”

Suddenly, the boy glared at Chenle. His eyes were a deep brown, almost black. Along with his dark hair and pale skin, a stranger might’ve thought he was the Martian, not Chenle. The boy rapidly approached Chenle, his fiery gaze unwavering. With one hand, he casually pulled Chenle off the ground. With the other, he secured Chenle in a headlock.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Chenle squeaked, “Put me down!”

Just as Chenle was about to threaten to beat the kid up, Agent 20502 sprinted into view, panting heavily.

“Agent 32300! Release him. He’s hurt,” the guard yelled.

“ _Hurt?_ ” the black-haired boy--Agent 32300--asked, incredulous, “ _I’m_ the one who’s hurt. He made me spill my ice cream!”

Agent 20502 rolled his eyes comically, “So that’s why you’re so aggressive? Not because he’s an intruder, not because he’s a Martian, but because he caused you to spill your ice cream?”

At this, the dark veil over Agent 32300’s eyes vanished, “Huh? A _Martian_?”

Agent 20502 nodded, smirking at the sudden change in Agent 32300’s mood.

“So did you find and capture him?” Agent 32300 asked, his eyes sparkling, “I bet he put up a good fight. Were you able to observe any of his powers? Were there any other Martians with him? I heard Martians can breathe underwater. Is it true? Ah, it seems that what they say about Martians’ appearances is true. He could totally pass as a normal human. Oh my gosh, this is amazing! _A real Martian?_ Now we can finally make observations and conduct experiments! We can even analyze his DNA and find out how the genetic makeups of Martians and humans differ! We’ll make so many scientific breakthroughs, and--oh my goodness, I can’t wait to tell Agent 20196. He’ll be so excited, won’t he? I can’t even--”

“Hey! Did you forget that you still have my neck locked in your arm?” Chenle screeched, “I’ll sue you! That’s what humans do, right? I’ll sue you for a million dollars!”

Chenle proceeded to let out a deafening screech, mainly to intimidate the two agents and show that his words were not to be taken lightly. Agent 32300 immediately dropped the loud Martian, his hands scrambling to cover his ears. Chenle’s leg throbbed again as his body hit the floor.

“Oh my gosh, Park Jisung! Why didn’t you mention that Martians are capable of emitting sound waves with such dangerously high frequencies?”

Agent 20502 mumbled “You asked too many questions, so I couldn’t--”

He was cut off by a high-pitched squeal from Chenle, “So cuuuuuute! Your name is _Park Jisung?_ Why didn’t you tell me earlier? You left me under the impression that all humans have boring number names like Agent 20502. Oh my gosh! Jisung is _such_ a cute name!”

Jisung’s cheeks flushed and he let out a surprised mumble, before masking it with an irritated harumph.

“Brother!” Jisung whispered angrily, “How could you expose my name to a _Martian?_ ”

“I-I’m sorry,” the boy stuttered, “It’s just that his screech was really loud. I couldn’t think properly.”

Chenle started laughing, a softer hiccup-like sound this time. He found it amusing that the crazily violent Agent 32300 could get flustered by something so trivial. As Chenle’s body shook from laughter, he unintentionally shifted his weight to his right leg.

“Ah-ch!” he whimpered, his eyes scrunching shut in pain.

“Ah, right. Your leg!” Jisung exclaimed unhelpfully, “I couldn’t find any crutches, so I guess someone will just have to carry you to the medical wing.”

“What? Carry me? No!” Chenle’s face contorted in embarrassment.

No matter how much pain he was in, Chenle would never allow himself to stoop so low. He still had his dignity to preserve.

“Agent 32300,” Jisung called, “you can take Chenle to the medical wing.”

“No way, you scrub. You dare use that tone when talking to an elder?”

Agent 32300 promptly left the room, throwing Jisung a slight smirk over his shoulder.

Jisung let out an annoyed huff, before hoisting Chenle into his arms. The small Martian resisted, vehemently squirming around under Jisung’s grip.

“Stop moving, or I’ll drop you and you’ll be even more injured,” Jisung threatened.

For some reason, Chenle doubted Jisung would do something like that. Not when he was in the process of helping heal Chenle’s leg. Nevertheless, Chenle stilled.

They reached a large room with transparent glass walls. Everything in the room was a clean white. Panels on the ceiling emitted brilliant white light, reflecting off the glass walls in a way that made Chenle’s head hurt.

Jisung set Chenle lightly onto a bed in one corner of the room.

“We’ll have to get an x-ray on your right leg to determine whether any bones are broken,” Jisung explained, arranging a large device and guiding Chenle’s leg through it.

Chenle considered resisting, but he decided against it; he needed to conserve energy to prepare an escape.

Jisung proceeded to cover Chenle in a heavy blanket and leave the room. He pushed a button that cued a few seconds of beeping. After the beeping stopped, Jisung walked back into the room and stopped in front of a screen on the opposite side of the room from Chenle. Chenle craned his neck to see what Jisung was doing, but the guard’s body blocked the screen from Chenle’s view.

 

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Jisung verified his identity to log onto the computer.

Username: chopstick_chicken

Password: jwisung52403

He opened up the x-ray application, only to find that the image was completely black. Jisung was momentarily taken aback. He reloaded the application, but the image remained empty. He tried to load a different image. It loaded properly. Perplexed, he glanced over his shoulder at Chenle who was staring curiously back at him. And then it hit him.

_Chenle was a Martian._

_Of course_ it was possible that Martians’ bones wouldn’t show up in an x-ray. Jisung was stupid to have forgotten about Chenle’s true identity. Although Chenle may’ve looked like a squishy teenage boy, he was really a mysterious and powerful alien whose initial intention was to sabotage the IMP base. But as Jisung’s view focused on Chenle’s sparkling, curious eyes, Jisung thought Chenle looked anything but dangerous.

Chenle broke into a fit of coughs, eyes flitting to the ground, ending the long seconds of awkward eye contact.

“S-so…” Chenle started, “uh, are my bones intact?”

“Uh, yeah. About that…”

When Jisung touched Chenle’s leg earlier, he was sure he’d felt something hard bent at a weird angle. Perhaps it was the Martian version of a broken bone.

Just in case, Jisung replied, “Yeah, one of the bones in your lower leg broke from the fall. I’ll go get Renjun. He can, uh, help you wrap it up and stuff. He’s a licensed medical practitioner. The kid’s too smart for his own good, you know. He’s so nerdy that he doesn’t even have any friends. Well, except for Doyoung, who’s equally as nerdy. And… maybe Sicheng, but I think they secretly beat each other up. So they don’t really count.”

Jisung’s scrambled train of thought was interrupted by a high-pitched giggle. Jisung mentally chastised himself for going off topic. Chenle’s leg was still broken, and he was here rambling about how Renjun was a total loner.

“You just exposed three people’s names,” Chenle giggled, an amused smile playing at the corner of his lips.

Jisung’s eyes widened in surprise, mentally chastising himself for such a careless slip of tongue. He was still relatively new to the whole top-secret government agent thing.

“A-ah, anyways. I’ll be leaving now,” Jisung mumbled, making his way towards the door.

A loud, “Hey, wait!” from Chenle caused him to turn around. Although merely two seconds had passed, Chenle’s smile had entirely disappeared.

“What happened to Jaemin? I was stuck in here and you guys were still outside, but you came in alone. Do you know where he is?” Chenle’s unsure tone spelled worry.

“Oh, him,” Jisung’s eyes roamed around the room, travelling anywhere but near Chenle, “He’s probably fine.”

 _“Probably fine?”_ Chenle questioned, incredulous. “What does that mean? Where is he?”

“He’s definitely alive. Likely mentally and physically healthy. He’s somewhere safe. I mean, they wouldn’t do anything bad to him. Unless he attacks them first,” Jisung answered cryptically, the last two sentences barely more than a whisper.

Jisung knew it wasn’t fair to keep Chenle worried about the safety of his friend, but he couldn’t give the secret of the IMP’s underground passages to yet another Martian. He quickly left the room, locking the door behind him.

 

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Chenle let out a bitter laugh as he saw Jisung’s hands fidgeting with the door lock. It wasn’t like Chenle could even dream of escaping with the way his leg was. Jisung’s actions were a reminder that despite Jisung’s helping his leg recover, humans and Martians were still enemies. He would continue to be cautious around Jisung. Chenle decided that for the time being, he’d carry on with the mission alone, observing the activities of the IMP agents. Once his leg healed, he could plan an escape. An uncharacteristic sigh escaped Chenle’s parted lips. He could only imagine all of the terrible things that were happening to Jaemin now. That idiot. Chenle just really hoped he was safe.

 

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Renjun contemplated holding a funeral.

But there were many considerations to be made before a funeral was held. First, Renjun would’ve needed to make a list of guests. He supposed that Jisung would be the only one. Renjun would’ve also had to buy a coffin and other funeral necessities. But he was broke. Last but not least, he’d have needed to find a scenic venue. He would never have allowed his precious ice cream to die away and be forgotten in a garbage dump. But he couldn’t’ve risked leaving the base to bury his dear deceased delicacy, so he poured the melted ice cream out a window.

He then tenderly lifted up his fallen fork. What a beauty. He caressed the utensil’s smooth handle and rinsed off the dried ice cream before lifting the fork up to observe the twinkling reflection of light off the stainless silver surface.

It was then that Jisung rushed towards him.

“Oh my gosh!” Jisung exclaimed, his hands thrusting forward to lock Renjun’s shoulders in a strong grasp, “You won’t believe what I just saw!”

“Ow! Get your hands off me, you little brat!” Renjun called, squirming out of Jisung’s hands and securing the younger boy in a headlock.

“Hey, hey, hey. Just listen! I did an x-ray on Chenle’s leg. And nothing showed up!”

“Chenle?” Renjun asked.

“The Martian,” Jisung replied impatiently.

“Wh-what?” Renjun’s arm loosens around Jisung’s neck.

Renjun’s eyes shimmered as he gazed at Jisung in astonishment.

“Nothing showed up? Jisung, this is amazing! We’ll use this chance to do more research on Martians! We’ll make so many new discoveries. Kun and the others will have to promote us and move us out of this boring place! Jisung, get the lab prepared. I need to perform a few tests.”

“Tests? On Chenle? Th-that’s not very good though, right? We can’t experiment on him without his knowledge” Jisung mumbled, his brows scrunching together cutely.

Renjun fought back the urge to smooth them out.

“Don’t worry. I won’t harm him, alright? I promise.”

Jisung let out a shaky breath, “Okay.”

“I can’t believe you’re such a softie,” Renjun snapped playfully.

He returned his arm to its previous position around Jisung’s neck. But Jisung was #buff, so he pushed Renjun away.

“Renjun, do you think we should report what happened today to Kun?” Jisung inqiured.

Renjun’s eyes widened by 200%.

“Are you crazy?” Renjun’s voice went up at the end, the pitch and volume _almost_ comparable to Chenle’s dolphin call (emphasis on almost).

“We already got demoted to this trashy deserted base, and now you’re suggesting we tell them that we allowed a Martian to infiltrate it? That Martian’s high-frequency sound waves must’ve put you out of your mind. If the others find out, we’ll never be allowed to participate in _any_ important missions.”

Renjun took a deep breath, eyes narrowing in annoyance, “Besides, you haven’t even told _me_ the entire story of how you let a Martian into the base. Were you planning to let me find out from the others?”

 

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Jisung recoiled at Renjun’s sharp accusation. Amid all the chaos, the idea of reporting the day’s events to Renjun had never crossed his mind. Jisung’s stomach twisted with guilt.

“I-I’m sorry,” he mumbled, before starting into a detailed explanation of what had happened.

Renjun listened patiently, his only reactions the occasional squinting of his eyes or furrowing of his brows.

When Jisung finished, Renjun let out a contemplative “hmmmm,” before commenting, “Martians really are crazy, aren’t they? One of them has a dolphin laugh and the other one is obsessed with outdated pickup lines. Gosh. ‘The key to your heart?’ _Seriously?_ ” Renjun shuddered, thoroughly disturbed.

“Anyways, for now, let’s keep the Martian secured in the medical wing. We can’t let him out because he already knows so many of our secrets, so he’s definitely a threat... even if he looks like a dumb baby. But I don’t know how we’ll be able to keep him a secret from the other IMP members either. Argh! Whatever, let’s figure out a game plan while his leg heals.”

Jisung nodded. He too had considered what would happen to Chenle from now on. He didn’t want to hurt the poor Martian even further, but he knew that Chenle was from the other side. He knew that perhaps, if given the chance, Chenle would intentionally destroy the IMP--and Jisung himself.

“For now,” Renjun started, anchoring Jisung from the spiraling abyss of his consciousness, “we should use noise-cancelling earplugs. We need to prevent opportunities for  the Martian to escape using his high-pitched squeaks.

“Okay,” Jisung replied, “You should go wrap his leg up. I told him you would.”

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Renjun approached the glass door of Chenle’s temporary room. He saw the Martian lying on the bed, his eyes shut. At least he was peaceful when he was asleep, Renjun thought.

He turned the door knob, careful not to make too much noise and startle the sleeping boy. But as soon as he pulled the door towards himself, Chenle’s eyes shot open.

“I’m here to, uh, help with your leg,” Renjun said.

Chenle just nodded.

Renjun retrieved a roll of gauze from a drawer. He used it to wrap Chenle’s broken leg onto a wooden plank.

“Ahh!” Chenle exclaimed, feeling a jolt of pain as his broken leg shifted slightly in Renjun’s hands.

“Shhh, shhhh,” Renjun purred, running his hand through Chenle’s hair as if he was petting a kitten, “I’ll set your leg down carefully.”

Seeing the soft curve of Renjun’s nose and his pink lips up close, Chenle could tell why Renjun decided to pursue medicine. Despite Renjun’s toxic personality, his features were comforting. He’d be the perfect doctor.

“Okay, it’s done now,” Renjun announced, his voice still lowered to a whisper, “You’ll just have to wait for the bones to heal themselves. In the meantime, I can give you some pain medications.”

“Now, hop onto this scale for me, alright? I need to gather some data in order to determine what prescription is best for your body.”

Chenle eyed the flat, rectangular glass device suspiciously.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Renjun spoke, “Ah, right. I forgot you can’t really walk onto the scale yourself.”

He reached out to drape Chenle’s arm over his shoulder, supporting Chenle’s weight as they made their way towards the scale.

“Ah, how should we do this?” Renjun asked, brows scrunching together in thought. “How about you try to balance on your left foot. It’ll only take a second.”

So Chenle carefully stepped onto the scale. After a number flashed on the screen, Renjun helped him off the scale.

“Hmmm, you’re a bit underweight,” Renjun observed, as if he weighed more than a mouse himself.

Renjun proceeded to lead Chenle towards a ruler on the wall.

“Try to stand as straight as you can so we can get an accurate measurement,” Renjun said.

Chenle nodded, straightening his back against the wall.

Renjun scribbled something down on a notepad before helping Chenle back onto the bed.

“Now I’ll need to draw some blood. Don’t worry, okay. It won’t hurt at all,” Renjun assured.

The only reason to tell someone not to worry about something beforehand is that they should be worried. So although Chenle had no idea what Renjun’s human medical terms meant, he knew it couldn’t be anything good. His premonition was confirmed when Renjun pulled out a cylindrical device with a long, sharp metal tip.

“Wh-what’s that? Hey, don’t come near me! I-I’ll fight you!” Chenle screeched.

“Shhhhh. It’s fine. This won’t be painful, okay? It’s just a tiny poke. Nothing more. I know you’re a good kid. You can do this, right? Be brave.”

Renjun’s tone made Chenle feel like a small child being persuaded to eat vegetables. He would’ve felt annoyed if there wasn’t a needle two feet away from his arm.

“Close your eyes, it’ll make you less scared,” Renjun suggested.

There was no way on Earth that Chenle was going to close his eyes.

“Y-you can’t make me!” Chenle yelled indignantly.

Renjun let out a small sigh, rolling his eyes. It was the first sign of unprofessionalism Chenle had seen from him since he’d arrived at the medical wing.

“You’re right,” Renjun murmured, “I can’t.”

Renjun straightened Chenle’s arm and tied a rubber strip around it. The tightly knotted ribbon dug into Chenle’s forearm, causing him to wince. Renjun then unwrapped a package containing some sort of moist tissue. He used it to wipe at a spot on Chenle’s arm. This must’ve been some preparation ritual for the iminent torture.

As the sharp tip of the needle inched closer and closer to Chenle’s arm, he felt his heart rate picking up. It was worse than anything he’d ever experienced before. Chenle had been trained as part of the F.A.I.R.Y. ever since he was five. He was literally molded to become a soldier. But in preparing for missions, everything could be predicted and practiced. There had never been a danger so unfamiliar.

“Okay, I’m putting the needle in,” Renjun announced softly.

“No!” Chenle screeched at the top of his lungs, “No no no no no!”

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Despite the plugs in his ears, Jisung heard a shrill, piercing shriek coming from the medical wing.

Dang. It’d only been ten minutes and Renjun and Chenle were already fighting? Jisung knew Renjun was violent, narrow-minded, and irresponsible (side-effects of being a genius?), but he thought Renjun would at least be able to wrap up a leg without any issues. But Jisung was proven wrong. Renjun was truly unpredictable.

Jisung reluctantly rose from the couch, where he had been playing a video game. He’d given up on guarding the base, considering he’d already managed to let in a Martian. He let out a sigh. The video game was his favorite one, a simple rpg in which each player picked a character and passed obstacles to escape from an evil chewing gum monster. Jisung made his way towards the medical wing, from which a loud scream was still emanating.

“Oh my gosh, what’s going on in here?” Jisung asked, straining to be heard over the loud shriek.

Renjun looked up, expression slightly distressed. Chenle used the momentary distraction as a chance to push Renjun’s arm away.

“I’m trying to draw some blood so that I can figure out what type of medications I should give him. But he’s such a scaredy-cat; he won’t let me put the needle in,” Renjun explained.

“A _cat?_ ” Chenle shouted, offended, “I’m a Martian!”

Renjun snorted and rolled his eyes. Jisung pursed his lips together to keep in the laugh threatening to escape his mouth. But as he saw the look of confusion plastered upon Chenle’s face, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. Jisung’s eyes scrunched shut and a soft chuckle was released from his lips. He sensed Chenle’s gaze on him. The Martian’s eyes were wide, searching for an explanation for Jisung’s actions. Jisung could practically feel the endorphins rushing through his bloodstream. The room around him and the day’s strange events suddenly seemed miles away. He was encompassed in a sea of his own laughter, aware only of Chenle’s unwavering gaze and furrowed brows. Chenle’s eyes seemed to have given up on finding a reason for Jisung’s sudden outburst, likely settling on the rationalization that he must’ve just been crazy.

“C’mon,” Renjun suddenly called, pulling Jisung out of his strange trance, “help me convince him to sit still and get his blood drawn.”

What the? How could Jisung change the Martian’s mind on something that had caused him to screech nonstop? Renjun was always assigning Jisung impossible tasks (another side-effect of being a genius?).

Jisung suppressed a sigh, walking over to kneel in front of Chenle, “Don’t worry, kid. It doesn’t even hurt.”

Jisung’s thoughts wandered to all the times he’d had blood drawn before. Admittedly, he too had been terrified. He even cried once, and Jeno had had to hold him down as Jungwoo comforted him with soothing words and pats on his back (and magic mushrooms). He figured that although Jungwoo’s method of comforting him had been effective, it was way too embarrassing to recreate. Plus, it wasn’t likely that the arrogant, stubborn Martian would give in to soft encouragements anyways.

Instead, Jisung pulled out one of the battle tactics he’d been polishing--provocation.

“Bruh, I can’t believe you’re scared of needles. You’re a Martian, so you might not know, but I’ve had blood drawn ever since I came out of the womb. Stop making such a big deal out of it.”

“Hey, don’t look down on us Martians!” Chenle screeched, “I wasn’t even that scared, okay? Just a bit surprised, that’s all. Did you think I would actually be scared of anything _you’ve_ been through?”

Chenle let out a “ha.”

Jisung was about to die from laughter. He was now completely convinced that Chenle was an idiot.

“Did you hear that, Renjun? The kid wasn’t scared. Time for the needle.”

Renjun quickly returned the needle to its position inches away from Chenle’s exposed arm. If Jisung was to be honest with himself, the scene before his eyes caused his own pulse to quicken. Despite his telling Chenle not to be afraid, the sharp syringe still sent shivers down his spine. But he needed to put on an unaffected act if Chenle was ever to get any blood drawn. Jisung’s eyes followed the tip of the needle as it approached a vein on Chenle’s arm. Renjun placed a tender hand on Chenle’s shoulder, before carefully pushing the needle into Chenle’s arm. Jisung squeezed his eyes shut, feeling sick. As soon as his vision darkened, he felt something sharp dig into his thigh.

“Ahh!” Jisung let out a shriek of pain, his eyes shooting open, “What the heck?”

When Jisung’s vision returned, he saw Chenle looking at him apologetically, the Martian’s hand resting on Jisung’s leg. Jisung mustered a weak smile.

“It wasn’t so bad, was it?” Renjun asked, sticking a band-aid on Chenle’s arm.

Chenle quickly regained his composure, nodding.

“Alright, I’ll just take these into the lab. You can rest now,” Renjun said, pointing to three glass cylinders filled with blood.

When Chenle’s eyes traveled to the tubes in Renjun’s hands and then to the thin straw attached to a blood-stained syringe, his eyes immediately glazed over, his pupils rolling back. His large head, too heavy to be supported by his neck, bobbed around loosely before falling forward, pulling his upper body into Jisung’s lap.

Jisung’s cheeks suddenly felt too hot. He awkwardly glanced up at Renjun who was already making his way towards the lab. When Renjun turned back to close the door of the glass room, Jisung saw the corners of his lips pull up into a teasing smirk.

_That brat._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by Agent O


End file.
